Buckwheat Pillows

Good Sleep = Long Happy Life

The Harvard Health Letter, volume 34 – Number 6 – April 2009, has as its lead article “Putting the joie de vivre  back into health”. I interpret that non-English part as “joy of living”. Close enough?

 

The article addresses a number of things that many people enjoy, and it expounds on how we can enhance our health while enjoying ourselves at the same time. That’s a novel idea.

It includes such diverse subjects as alcohol, chocolate, coffee, sex, sleep, and social life. Here I will address only sleep. The article comments on  the detrimental effects associated with a lack of sleep, and the healthful advantages of receiving adequate sleep.

Since buckwheat pillows help people fall asleep quickly, stay asleep, and experience the most relaxing and rejuvenating sleep possible, this article seemed to be apropos to this blog. The article sites extensive studies which show that those who short themselves on sleep (7 to 8 hours/night are optimal) put on more weight than those who get adequate sleep. Other studies linked skimping on sleep to high risk for heart attacks, diabetes, and early death. When healthy people stay awake for long periods of time, their hormonal levels go out of whack.

Levels of cortisol, leptin, ghrelin, and others which affect stress levels and appetite get thrown out of kilter. A person averaging four hours of sleep a night for four or five days has a resulting level of cognitive impairment as that of a person legally drunk.

My point is, sleeping on a buckwheat pillow doesn’t only contribute to the “joie de vivre” while sleeping, but will promote to controlling your weight and enjoying a happy, healthy, and long life.